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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27565723">The end of Formalities</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireThatFox/pseuds/FireThatFox'>FireThatFox</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>With these Words [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 20:01:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,106</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27565723</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireThatFox/pseuds/FireThatFox</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The adding on of one word has ended with the end of formalities.  Sasori now faces a worthy rival for Sakura's affections.  Will he fight, scheme and canive to maintain his place, or will Itachi kill him before he can even begin plotting...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Haruno Sakura &amp; Sasori, Haruno Sakura &amp; Uchiha Itachi, Haruno Sakura/Sasori, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Itachi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>With these Words [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1936663</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>71</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The end of Formalities</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sakura’s green eyes swept over the rapidly growing crowd of the main gallery.  She had seen Sasuke of course, glowering like a child in the corner of the room and wondered if his brother Itachi was there.  It had been a long time since she had seen Itachi, or their cousin Shisui.</p><p>The Uchiha were great supporters of the arts and though she had kept the desire to see him to herself, she had hoped Itachi would be at the gallery tonight.</p><p>They weren’t exactly close, no, but they were friends.  Itachi was quiet, reserved but very intelligent.  When she could coax him into a conversation with her, it was well worth her effort, the man was a genius and she told anyone who would listen that it was true.</p><p>Since they had been kids, such vile rumors had floated around Sasuke’s older brother.  People said he was kind but could be cruel.  That he was a genius, a prodigy...but a killer, a bloody heartless murderer.  Sakura had scoffed openly, loudly and told off anyone who dared utter such lies in her presence.</p><p>Itachi had come to her one day, when she had been at their house, and had thanked her.  A very quiet, very brief and very sincere thank you to let her know he had heard that she had defended him.  Two words.  It had meant the world to her and ever since, she had taken every opportunity to engage him in conversation.</p><p>One at a time she dismissed each group when she found no trace of slender dark among them, disappointment began to dampen her mood until her eyes passed over the last small group of three in the far corner of the room.  Itachi.  She smiled quite unconsciously as their eyes met.</p><p>It was as though he had been waiting for her to look at him, to find him among the masses.  He handed his cousin Shisui his glass, without looking at him, and began a slow but steady pace toward her, closing the distance between them.  He would take Shisui’s advice and...speak to her...</p><p>The arm she held constricted, pulling her flush up against Sasori’s side, she stumbled only slightly and looked up into cold amber eyes.  He too had seen Itachi give his cousin his glass.  He too noticed Itachi’s directive and was...displeased.</p><p>“Is that not the elder brother of your ex-husband my dear, headed this way?  Shall we step out of the room to avoid what is sure to be an awkward conversation no doubt sprung from the root of obligation?”  Sasori looked down at Sakura, his voice calm, his eyes unreadable.</p><p>“Yes, that is Sasuke’s older brother Itachi but it won’t be awkward Sasori.”  Sakura placed her hand reassuringly over his arm and smiled up at him.  “Itachi and I are friends.  Whatever happened between Sasuke and I will not affect our friendship.  You have nothing to worry about.”</p><p>Don’t I?  Sasori grit his teeth then relaxed his jaw with much more effort than he had anticipated.  She was defying him, no she didn’t know it, but she would, soon enough.  He would punish her for this.  She would need to learn, the only friends she was allowed to have, were the ones he let her have and Itachi Uchiha...was not one of them.</p><p>“Sakura.”  Itachi’s quiet voice made Sasori tighten his grip on Sakura’s arm even further.  </p><p>“It is good to see you.  It has been quite some time since I have had the pleasure of speaking with you.”  Itachi bowed low and formally before Sakura, making her blush furiously.</p><p>“Itachi, I’ve missed you.”  Sakura tried to step forward, releasing her hold on Sasori’s arm but was brought up short when Sasori refused to let go of her arm.  “Sasori?”</p><p>Again, he grit his teeth, and nodded briskly to Sakura before releasing her arm.  She was going to be punished for this…  Sasori watched as she stepped forward and...hugged the Uchiha...right in front of him…</p><p>“Akasuna.”  Itachi bowed politely to Sasori once he had greeted Sakura properly and was able to pay more attention to his surroundings.  “It is a pleasure to see you this evening.”</p><p>“Yes.  I can imagine.”  Sasori inclined his head a fraction of an inch.</p><p>Sakura looked at Sasori in surprise.  She had seen him talk down to people he thought were beneath him frequently enough but had never seen him speak to someone who was clearly his equal like he was now.</p><p>“Sasori.”  Sakura laid a hand over his arm that he had snaked around her waist after she had hugged Itachi.  “Itachi is a good friend of mine.”</p><p>“Yes, I see.”  The normally conversational red head said shortly.  “If you’ll excuse us.”</p><p>Sakura looked apologetically over her shoulder as Sasori propelled her forcefully to the other side of the room, leaving Itachi to stare after them.</p><p>“So, not as happy as you thought hum?”  Shisui spoke from Itachi’s left, his own eyes watching Sasori and Sakura engage a new person in conversation, a Sabaku, if he remembered correctly...Gaara of the Desert.</p><p>“Perhaps not.”  Itachi didn’t elaborate, he didn’t need to with Shisui who always knew his mind.  “I will...look into it.</p><p>“I’m sure you will.”  Shisui plucked two fresh glasses from a passing tray and handed one to Itachi who took it and sipped without blinking.</p><p>“Be careful.  You’ve heard the rumours as well as I have and I’m sure he’s heard the ones about you.  If what they say about the man is true, aside from what we already know, he’ll be expecting you to do something.”  Shisui hummed playfully into his glass.</p><p>“I would expect him to.”  Itachi watched Sakura smile at the blonde sister of the CEO of Sabaku Pharmaceuticals.  “I find myself interested in seeing where Sakura works.  I’ll visit her, Monday...for a surprise visit, maybe lunch.”</p><p>“Thought you might.”  Shisui smiled.  “Tell her I said hi will ya?  Oh and that even if Sasuke is a douchebag, she should still stop by the main house.  Mikoto misses her rival in conversation.  I’m afraid I just don’t care enough to go that extra mile to argue politics with her.”</p><p>“Right.”  Itachi smiled, then frowned as Sasori pulled Sakura yet again from the room and down the adjacent hallway.  “Where is he taking her, there’s nothing back there but storage?”  Itachi handed Shisui his glass again without looking and started walking across the gallery.</p><p>“Shit.”  Shisui set both of their glasses down on the nearest table and trotted after his single minded cousin.  “This isn’t going to end well.</p>
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